Electric switch.



H. E. FROST. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.26, 1911.

1,053,489, Patented Feb.18.1913.

2 BBEEETSQRHEET 1.

WHMSSES: AWE/VTOR.

' ATTORNEY.-

H. E. FROST.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 26. 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES.-

QM [7%M IJVVJZYVTORv I $4 5? W AT mNEk Patented Feb.18,1 913.

UNITED craft-as Parana c urch.

HOMER ii. rnosr, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC CONTROLLER, Ann MANUFACTURING com-ram, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A coaronarron or OHIO.

,cnnc'rmc swircn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented n t; is, 1913..

- Application filed January as, item. serialize. scares.

To ell whom it my concern."

Be it knewn that I, Hormel E. Faosr, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the count-yet Chyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and use- .ful Improvements in Electric Switches,'of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric switches, particularly that type tion when the contacts come together, and if the moving contact strikes the relatively stationary contact with great force it may result in a separation of the contacts due to a rebound caused by the force of impact.

This is objectionable because, ifst-hecontacts separate after they have once engaged, an

arc will be established which will more or less injure the surface of the contacts. -Another'object-ion to the form of switch which opens by means of gravity is that upon its striking the limiting open'position, the moving'arm is liable to rebound, and if this ac,

tion is great enough the contacts may again come together and cause a second arc in the.

opening of the switch.

The objects of my invention are 1stto" provide a means for preventing the separa tion of t-he contacts due to arebound caused by the force of impact when the switchcloses; 2ndt'o prevent therebound oi the moving contact when the switch opens.

To further describe my invention, 1 refer to the following drawings, in which Figure I is a front elevation of a switch.

embodying my invention; Fig. :11, a side elevat1on,'partly in section, of. the movable a rm,'showing the switch in its closed posihon; and Fig. 111, a side elevation showing the switch in its open position. V

In these figures a magnetic frame 1 is.

mounted upon a suitable insulating support 2. This frame carries'a cylindrical projection 3 which forms the core of-a magnet on which is mounted the magnetizing winding 4:. Pivoted to the frame by means'of the pin 5 is the movable arm 6, which is preferably of magnetic material. This arm is forked at its lower portion and passes on either side of the tongue 1 of the frame 1. This movable arm carries at its upper extremity the contact 7, which when the switch s closed coiiperates with the contact 8, which is in turninounted upon the contact holder 9, pivoted at 10 to a/frame 11. This frame 11 is suitably mounted upon the insulating support- 2. The projection ll 'of the frame 11 is provided to limit the outward travel of the contactS, the projection 9 of the contact holder 9 engaging therewith. A compression spring 12 serves to keep the contact- 8 in its outermost. position when the switch is open, and maintains a pressure between the contacts 7 and 8 when the switch is closed. The positions of the pins 5 and '10 v and the point of contact of the contacts ,;7 and 8 are so related that a wiping action of the contactsis secured as the switch closes, which is desirable for maintaining the surface of the contacts in good condition.

,Mounted in the arm 6 is a loosely fitting plug or weight 13, t preterablyniagnetic material, which is provided with the flange 14 to prevent its being (1 awn through the arm. The stop 15 is 2 tached to the arm and prevents the plug 13 from failing out when the switch is in its open position. The part 161s aretainlng piate fastened to the core 8 for holding the magnetizing winding 4 in place. The terminals'e t the switch are shown at 17 and 18, to which conductors fnay be connected, the circuit through which is to be closed and opened at thecentects 7 and 8.

This form of switch isadapted t0 handle very" heavy currents through its contacts,

. core 3 whereas the magnetwinding at may be tallergized by means offa'very small current and controlled from a distance. k

The operation of the switch is as follows: Assuming that the switch is in'its open position, as shown in Fig. III gas soon as the windinge is energized, the plug 13tirst is attracted toward the core 3 and closes the gap between its flange let and the arm 6.

The arm and plug are then' attracted together toward the core. 3 until the contacts 7 and Shave come together. The air gap between the core 3 and the plug 13 is new smaller and the plug 13' is. drawn in until it engages with the core 3, as shown 1n F 1g. 11, which action compresses the sprlng 12. It the energizatlon' of the winding 4 is very high this action will take place in a very short time anda Considerable blow will-be imparted by the contact 7 to the contact 8. V hen the plug 13 strikes the it stops but the arm 6 can still pro.- gress audit will be brought to rest byt'urther compressing the spring 12, after which thearm 6 is moved by the spring 12- until it comes into engagement with the flange 14: of the plug 13, which is the position shown in Fig. H. It the arm 6 were rigidly attached plug or weight 13 obviates the two hereinto the plug 13, the sudden stopping of the contact 7 in the closing of the switch would cause the contact 8 to separate from the contact 7 and thus produce an arc; whereas by my improved construct-ion this separationof the contacts is entirely eliminated and no arc is caused by the 'olhsing of the switch, the contacts 7 and S beingheldin contact by the spring 12. To cause the switch to open,-the' magnet winding 4 is de'efnergiZed and the switch falls o'penIby gravity, the motion of the arm beingarrested by its striking the surface or stop 1 on the frame 1. When this position is reached the armhasa tendency to rebound, but the plug or. weight 13, continuing its motion until it strikes the stop 15, prevents any appreciable rebound.

, By a proper'pro'portion of the weight of the plug to that of the arm this rebound will become so small as to be hardly, if 'atall,

noticeable.

It will thus be seen that the use of the loose before mentioned serious dill'iculties in the operation of magnetically operated' switches of the general type shown.

I do not lin'iitmyinvention to the details and their combinations shown and described, butdesire protection on all modifications avhich come within the scope and spirit of' the wording of the appended claims.

I claim- 1. A. pair of contacts one of which is yielding, a movable member carrying one of the contacts, a welght carried by. the said member and having a limited free movement.

withrespectthereto, means for moving said member and said weight to engage sald conpreventthe reopening of. the contacts at its closing limit.

In a magnetically-operated switch, a pair of contacts, a movable member on which one of the contacts 'ismounted, a loosely fitting weight of magnetic material supported by the said member, means for causing the said contacts to engage, and

means fornrresting the movement of the said loosely fitting part to allow the said member to continue its motion atter the magnet-1c elrcult 1s closed by the said part.

- 4. In an electric switch, a movable member carrying an electric contact, a stop to limit the opening movement of the said member, a weight carried by the said member and having a limited-'movementindependently of the said member, and means on the said member for limiting the independent movement of the weight after the mov able member has its opening movement arrested by the said stop.

:7. In a magnetically-operated switch, a

pair of contacts, a movable member carryin'g one of said contacts, a loosely fitting part supported by the said member and located in a magnetic circuit when the switch is closed, means permitting the saidpart to continue to move a certain distance after the movementof the said member has been 'arrested, and means to arrest the movement of the said part.

6. A movable contact-carrying member, a

contact arranged to be engaged by the contact on the'said member when the latter is actuated in'one direction, a stop to limit the movement-of the said member in the opposite direction, and means carried by the said member to limit its rebound at its opening limit, and to prevent the re-opening of thecontacts at its closing limit. 7

7. A movable switch-arm, 'a weight carried thereby, the arm and the weighthaving limited independent movement, contact on the switch-arm, a contact arranged to be en'- gag cd by. the said movable contact, means to move the switch arm and weight to cause the contacts to engage, means to arrest the movement of the weight, permitting the arm to continue its movement, a stop engageable by the arm at the limit of its opening movement, and a stop on the arm to arrest the independent movement of the Weight.

8. In a switch, a pair of contacts, a movable member on which one of the contacts is mounted, a Weight supported by the movable member and having limited independ ent movement in the line of movement of 10 the said member, an electro-magnet to actuate the movable member in a direction to cause its contact to engage the other contact, and a stopto arrest the movement of the Weight in the said direction.

Signed at Cleveland, Ohio, this 24th day .15 of January, A. D. 1911. 4

HOMER E. FROST. Witnesses J. H. HALL, H. M DIEMER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

